Art and Humanitarian trip to Nepal

$3,675
of $3,525 goal

Hi! I'm Rev. Katie Jo Suddaby and I study art and spirituality. I'm one of just a few people in the Western hemisphere who create Sand Mandalas- temporary works of art in an ancient style taught by Tibetan and Nepali Buddhist monks.

This October, I'll be traveling to Pokhera, Nepal to study with the monks and to deliver water filters to the Nepali people (most of whom are at risk of water borne illnesses).

This is an extraordinary opportunity to apprentice with monks who have been carrying on the philosophy and technique of ephemeral art for thousands of years.

Can you support my adventure of a lifetime?! Donations will cover airfare, travel visas, boarding at the monastery, and a trip to the capital, Kathmandu, to interview and support local artists who are rebuilding after the 2015 earthquake.

Here are links, details, and a stop-action video of my latest creation. Thank you so much for your support!

I'm so thankful to everyone who helped me get to Nepal. Here are just a few highlights. I got to see a sacred dance by the monks at the monastery near Pokhera, Nepal. I visited the largest stupa (Buddhist shrine) in the world. And my fearless translator Sunil helped me find a metal worker who could make replicas of my chakpur (sand art tool). Krishna (in the PINK sweatshirt) is a third generation fine metal worker. The religious cooperation and good will of Nepal is illustrated perfectly in the face that he is Hindu and making a Buddhist sacred object for a Christian pastor. I'll update more about the humanitarian half of the trip soon. But I want all my donors to know that my art and my soul are forever changed because of this trip.